Slitter or scorer for tubes or sheaths



@Lugo E8, i3 E. BEYER 296%899 SLITTER OR SCORER FOR TUBES OR SHEATHS Filed Aug, 13, 195i 21,1. l I l dL/9 mu@ fimmmmaiif s 33 '53 35 3 S@ 52 /3 :inventor t; dw@ F d 'El E 12| El (Ittomeg Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLITTER OR SCORER FOR TUBES R SHEATHS Edward Beyer, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Application August 13, 1951, Serial No. 241,661

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to tube and sheath slitters. The slitter herein disclosed may be ernployed, for example, in slitting the sheaths of electric cables.

An important object of the invention is to provide a slitter by which, after a sheath is inserted therein, the slitter may be moved longitudinally of the sheath and a pair of spaced-apart slits or scores will be made in the sheath but there will be no material binding of the sheath and slitter while the latter is being operated, whereby operations may be quickly accomplished.

Another important object is to provide a slitter which comprises easily machined parts and with all parts being simple and inexpensive to manufacture, yet the slitter is sturdy and adapted, for that reason, to accommodate sheaths or tubes of tough material, or, by the substitution of parts, will readily slit or score sheaths or tubes of relatively small diameters or of relatively thin, readily-slitted material.

A further important object is to provide a tube and sheath slitter adapted to employ a pair of spaced-apart cutters, moved into and out of slitting relationship with a member to be slitted, solely by the use of a single screw means, and so that yboth cutters will enter the member to substantially the same depth. Where two or more screws are employed in order to cause two cutters to slit to an equal depth, unless both screws are manipulated carefully, one cutter may not cut through the member suiiiciently for a portion to be removed while the other cutter may cut deeper than desired.

Additionally, an important object is to provide for sliding movement of the sliding parts of the slitter in substantially straight paths without deviation and without canting of any part.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this disclosure, and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the new slitter with a sheath being slit.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the slitter, substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sections, substantially on their respective lines of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates the new slitter and B a member being slitted thereby.

The new slitter A includes an open-sided housing I5 formed of a pair of end portions comprising spaced-apart, paralleling channel bars II with their channels I2 and longitudinal edges I3 in facing relationship. These end portionsv are joined together at adjacent like ends by a bearing portion I4 accommodating a screw-threaded shank to be subsequently described. This bearing portion I4 is well shown in top plan in Fig. 4 and includes oppositely-disposed arms or end parts I5 snugly accommodated in portions of the channels I2 and with parts in contact with adjacent rparts of the edges I3. The portion I4 has a central screw-threaded bore I6 and, extending into each arm I5, is a screw-threaded socket I'I with its axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the bore I6. The bearing portion I4 is detachably secured to the end portions II as by screws IS with their shanks extending through suitable openings in the end portions I I and into the sockets I'I.

Opposite the bearing portion I4 andforming another wall of the housing I0 as well as a support for a part of the slitter structure, is an end piece or portion I9, shown in Fig. 3 for example, which may be a block of suitable metal with its end parts snugly accommodated in parts of the channels I2 and this 'portion I9 has a pair of faces 20 facing the bearing portion I4 and each sloping from a bearing arm 2| (extending toward the portion I 4) to a central bearing arm 22 which also extends toward the portion I4. The portion I9 is provided with screw-threaded sockets 23 (as four) to receive the Shanks of screws 24 extending through suitable openings in the end portions I I for the purpose of iirmly securing the end yportions II and end portion I9 together. The arms 2| and 22 are provided with axiallyaligned bores 25 for the pivots of rollers 30 to be next described.

Carried -by the support portion I9 is end means for the sheath and this means comprises a pair of rollers 3Q having pivots 3I extending through the bores 25 as in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that the rollers 3U may be inserted into the spaces between the arm 2| and arm 22 and the pivots 3l slid into the bores 25 and the openings 32 extending through the rollers 33. The free end of the arm 22 does not extend to the outer peripheries of the rollers, as is clear in Fig. 3.

Slidable longitudinally of and within the housing I0 is a cutter support means including a cutter holder 35 which is somewhat T-shaped, and may comprise a relatively wide block or arms 36 having end parts slidable within the channels l2 and parts slidable along the edges I3 and a narrower block or body 31 extending from the block 36, as in Fig. 3. The blocks may be detachably secured together as by the screws 38 the Shanks of which may extend through openings in the block and into screw-threaded sockets in the block 31.

The block 36. has a central, inverted T-shaped recess 39V for the free end portion of a screw to -be subsequently described. This recess extends to one side face of the block 36 and the narrower part of the recess opens toward thebearing por.- tion I4.

At the free end portion of the block 31 there are a pair of parallel slots 40 to accommodate portions of roller cutters and there is provided. a suitable bore 4i through the block 31 from its' opposite ends to the slots 4D. This bore 4t may contain the shank of a screw 42 since one part of theV bore 4I. may be screw-threadedto cooperate with the screw threads of the screw d2.

The cutters 45Y are mounted for rotationupon smooth, portions of the peripheries of the screw- 42- with the cutting edges of the cutters 45 projecting outwardly of the ends of the slots 40.

Y Means. to move the cutter support means 35 to 42 inclusive, toward and away from the rollers 3D, and retain it in a selected moved position, is an elongated screw 50. having a head 51 to afford a in such a way that. the.Y protruding end of the shank 52 will rest upon that part. of the hand between the bases of the thumb andindex ringer and the other iingers in contact with one end portion Il., While the other hand is cupped about the opposite portion of. the slitter preferably with the yball of thev thumb contacting one. face of the end portion I9 and with one of the longitudinal edges i3 forming shoulders. to prevent slipping of the thumb, while the balls. of several of the fingers contact the other face of the end portion in order to effect a. steady grip.

Initially, the screw 5.0. is rotated until the space. between the rollers 3D- and. edges of the cutters 45 is suicient for insertionY of the member B of which the sheath. 66 is to be slit and, after the proper length of sheath is inserted, the screw isrotated to cause the cutters 4 5 tov sink into the.

4 sheath whereupon the slitter A is grasped and drawn longitudinally of the sheath, slitting it in two parallel lines so that the portion of sheath between the two lines may be peeled 01T, enabling the operator to remove, too, the rest of that portion of the sheath to be removed.

Since there is a loose connection between the screw 50 and the block 36 of the cutter holder 35;, a. holder having cutters more widely or more closely spaced apart may be substituted or even another block substituted for the block 31 by unscrewing the screws 38 and removing the block 3,1. with its. cutters. attached.

Moreover, the need for manipulating only one part (the screw 50), in order to operate the slitter isv of'advantage. This is accomplished although two cutters are employed, because of the sliding t ofthe cutter holder 35 in the channels l2 of thev channel irons, for the cutter holder cannot tend to cant, despite but one screw 5B.

Various changesA may be vmade tothe form lof the invention herein shown and described withy out departing from. the spirit of the invention or scope of the claim. Y

What is claimed. is.:

A slitter for sheathed and tubular members,- including a housing having spaced-apart channel bars, including side walls having edge faces and providing longitudinal edges with the longitudinal edgesof. one side wall facing the longitudinal edges' of the other side Wall, a bearing portion bridging said channel bars, extending into. the vchannels of the channel bars and secured to -said bars, an an end portion spaced from the bearing portion and bridging said channel bars and secured thereto, having side faces with end parts thereof extending into said channels with said side walls overlapping said end parts and said edge faces exposed, whereby said end portion may receive portions of the cupped4 hand of an operator; cutter means carried by said bearing portion and vextending toward said end portion; and'supportmeans for said members carried by said end portion, and facing said' cutter means.

EDWARD BEYER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,798,683 Korab Mar. 31, 1931 2,346,227 Martin Apr. 11, 1944 2,353,128 D'emetropoulos July 11, 1944- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 627,237 GreatV Britain Aug. 3, 1949 

